Earlier this month, it was announced that Blockbuster Video would close its remaining stores for good, having been taken out by the plentiful Redbox kiosks and streaming operations such as Netflix. I was not saddened in the least by this news; over the last two decades, Blockbuster helped drive many independently owned rental stores out of business. I consider myself lucky that I did not have to go through life only having Blockbuster to rely on for my movie-watching needs, because in my neighborhood exists one of the biggest rental libraries in the world, Seattle’s Scarecrow Video. But in a world where the destroyer of video stores has been destroyed, Scarecrow is struggling to stay afloat.

For the first remake in his long and varied career, Spike Lee took on a movie with a particularly fervent following: Park Chan-wook’s masterful revenge thriller OLDBOY. And it was a challenge he approached thoughtfully, with what he describes as respect for his source.

Most long-running game series (SUPER MARIO, FINAL FANTASY, etc) avoid the potential hazards of a strong “mythology” by keeping it simple (Mario is good, things that he can stomp on are bad) or starting from scratch every time out (save for Chocobos and guys named Cid). Other series, such as CASTLEVANIA, haven’t had long-term goals in mind when they were designed, but kept expanding on the initial storyline, resulting in a complicated “canon” that can scare off new fans, while also decreasing the appeal for older fans who’ve grown tired of trying to make sense of its narrative (RESIDENT EVIL is an even bigger offender of this). Some folks at Konami agreed, which is why LORDS OF SHADOW is not only a completely standalone affair in terms of CASTLEVANIA lore, but also planned to be a definitive open and shut trilogy that will wrap up with LORDS OF SHADOW 2 in 2014.

Alejandro Amenábar, who spent his early career crafting excellent thrillers THESIS, OPEN YOUR EYES (later remade as VANILLA SKY) and the Nicole Kidman haunter THE OTHERS will revisit horror with the Fernando Bovaira and Himenoptero-produced REGRESSION.

On October 25th, the BFI (British Film Institute) welcomed the one and only filmmaker, producer, director, mogul, mentor and media personality Roger Corman as a special guest, as part of their “Gothic: The Dark Heart of Film” series. In front of a packed room, Corman talked about his craft, his life, his times and philosophies with another legend, writer and genre scholar Kim Newman.

Featuring 12 segments from the likes of Lamberto Bava, Sergio Stivaletti, Sergio Martino, Ruggero Deodato, Luigi Cozzi and more, THE BOOK aims to showcase the legacy of Italian genre with new works from its heaviest contributors, as they design a terrifying and fantastic vision of Rome.

Jingle the Bells! Hit the lights! In celebration of FANGORIA’s re-release of the remastered original SILENT NIGHT, DEADLY NIGHT, we present to you SANTA SHOWDOWN, a battle between the more gruesome ghosts from Christmas Past. So sit down by the fire, enjoy some eggnog and pray neither of these Christmas killers make their way down your chimney…

If the first issue of the new GOREZONE left you hungry for more, our follow-up (shipping out to subscribers early next month) will satisfy your appetite for flesh and blood; see the complete contents after the jump!

Fangoria Fanatics! Last week, FANGORIA put out an all-points-bulletin for every fear fan worth their weight in horror memoribilia and the call was answered! Hence, here we are, presenting you with the FEARLESS FANS OF FANGORIA!